Swimming Pool
by Fempire
Summary: On a quiet and clear night, Shepard and Liara decide to take a dip in the pool. Time seems to slow as Shepard muses about past and present. Written from Shepard's perspective.


**Disclaimer: Mass Effect is owned by BioWare and EA.**

**A/N: As I was working on chapter two of **_**Priority: Vacation**_**, the song **_**Swimming Pool **_**by **_**Freezepop **_**came up on my playlist, giving me the idea to write this quick little ficlet. Amazing how a simple song can get the creative juices flowing. **

**Just a quick warning, though; this one broke my fluff-meter. Can anybody else lend me theirs so I can finish **_**Priority: Vacation**_**?**

* * *

I stand above you, on the concrete ledge. I can see the reflection of the stars above being distorted in the water, as if the night sky were moving in waves.

Your skin bare, the ripples of water lapping against it in inconsistent patterns. Celeste-blue water melding with cerulean skin; I can only stand in awe at the sight before me.

You raise a hand, water dripping from your arm as you seductively beckon me toward you as if you were a mythical siren of the sea that was calling a weary sailor home.

I swiftly discard the last articles of my clothing; then kneel before you. You swim forward and raise your arms out of the water. I feel my face become wet as you cup my cheeks in your palms and pull me down towards you. My dry, chafed lips find solace in a pair of soft, damp ones.

Lost in the kiss, I didn't feel the pressure of you pulling me downwards. Not soon after, I find myself falling into the water. Once I surface, I am met by the sound of angelic laughter. You beam an innocent smile at me as I pull soaked strands of hair from my face.

The water being shallow enough for me to stand, I utilize this and push against the bottom with my legs, moving towards you.

As if you knew my very intentions, once I was close enough, you placed your hands on my shoulders for support and lifted yourself upwards. Water splashed between our bodies as you wrapped your legs around my waist.

I grinned lopsidedly up at you. Past your loving gaze, I could see the blanket of stars above.

Idly, in the back of my mind, I recalled that the both of us, for years, traveled around the stars; but we were too busy saving the galaxy to ever be able to take in their beauty.

Noticing my sudden change in disposition, you place a hand against my cheek; the sudden contact of your cool, wet hand against my flushed cheek bringing me out of my thoughts.

You look down at me with concern in your eyes. To reassure you, I lean upwards, capturing your lips with my own.

As we gently explore each other's mouths, I feel your hands run down my shoulders, stopping only to lightly brush your fingertips over the scars I received in battles long-passed, as if attempting to soothe and heal them.

There was a time when I dreaded waking, when the next day could mean that we would be divided by life and death.

To live a day without you would be unbearable, my heart would ache to the point where I could will it to just stop beating... just so I could try to be closer to you.

I reluctantly break from the kiss, just so I can look into your eyes. You smile down at me, and I smile up at you; our gazes silently saying everything we needed to say.

I find it hard to fathom that not too long ago, we were in the fight for our lives – and now we are here, in the serene, loving comfort of each other's arms, knowing that we fought with our entirety to have this – to have a tomorrow.

You raise a hand from my shoulder to brush a strand of hair out of my face. I chuckle lightly as your nose slightly scrunches in thought as you rub the strand of hair between your thumb and forefinger. You have always been so transfixed with my hair.

You had to mourn in the dark for two years, not knowing if you would have ever been able to run your hands through my hair, let alone see me again. Your strength and resolve never ceased to amaze me.

At this thought, I lean up to quickly kiss you, my quiet gesture of remorse.

What I said on the Normandy all those years ago – when I said that I didn't know if I could have done any of it without you – I have never spoken truer words in my life.

Faced with the seemingly insurmountable threat of the Reapers, you gave me hope.

You gave me strength I didn't even know I had to overcome everything I was faced with.

The moment we were reunited after the final battle, in your worried embrace, I realized that nothing in this universe would ever be able to tear us apart.

I don't belong to an entire galaxy anymore – no military forces, no war efforts – I belong to you; and you alone.

I start to slowly ease backwards into the water and outstretch my arms for buoyancy. We languidly begin to drift with you resting against my chest.

I look back up at the stars, the very place I met you.

Our ship finally had gotten lost.

Everything is perfect now.


End file.
